Tape applying machine



May 4, 1965 c. F. ENGERT TAPE APPLYING MACHINE 9 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 3. 1961 Jae 297222 C. F. ENGERT TAPE APPLYING MACHINE May 4, 1965 9 Sheets-Sheet 2' Filed Jan. 3, 1961 .nmw l May 4, 1965 c. F. ENGERT TAPE APPLYING MACHINE 9 Sheets-sheaf 3 Filed Jan. 3. 1961 May 4, 1965 c. F. ENGERT 3,181,983

TAPE APPLYING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3. 1961 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 556' a a2 I OI I y 4, 1965 c. F. ENGERT 3,181,988

TAPE APPLYING MACHINE Filed Jan. 3, 1961 v 9 Sheets-Sheet 5 ay 4, @965 I c. F. EINGERT TAPE APPLYING MACHINE Filed Jan. '5. 1961 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 A r, Mew

M, W A'- m May 4, 1965 cf F. ENGERT TAPE APPLYING MACHINE 9 sh ets-sheet? Filed Jan. 5. 1961 mm m a w mm. W mm W QM May 4, 1965 c. F. ENG ERT TAPE APPLYING MACHINE- 9 Sheets-Sheet 8 Filed Jan. 3. 1961 Hi m V VIII/III! May 4, 1965 c. F. ENGERT TAPE APPLYING MACHINE 9 Sheets-$heet 9 Filed Jan. 3. 1961 United StatesPatent O 3,1SL983 TAPE APPLYING MACHINE Caspar l Engert, Northlahe, 111., assignor to Kleen-Stih Products, 11116., Chicago, Ill, a cdrporation of Illinois Filed Jan. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 8%,403 20 Claims. (Cl. 156-650) This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial No. 670,192, filed July 5,. 1957, now abandoned. I

This invention relates to a machine for applying an adhesive transfer tape to individual pieces of sheet material.

In recent years, advertising and other forms of printed literature in sheet form have been distributed to the ultimate user with adhesive applied to the margins thereof in the form of strips of adhesive transfer tapes each comprising a backing strip having a loosely held layer of adhesive material on the side thereof which is face down upon the sheet material and a non-tacky outer face which permits stacking of similar sheets Without the sticking together of adjacent sheets in the stack. When the ultimate user desires to apply the sheet material to a vertical wall surface, he peels the backing strip from the sheet material, leaving the adhesive layer upon the sheet material. The sheet material may then be adhesively secured to a vertical wall surface by applying the adhesivecoated side of the sheet material against the wall surface involved.

The machinery heretofore used to apply the adhesive transfer tape at high speeds to the sheet material was very costly and only a relatively few sheet processing plants were available for applying the adhesive transfer tape to sheet material. The sheet material involved was first processed by the printer who provided individual printed sheets in the usual manner. Then, the sheets were usually delivered to the nearest plant having the above-mentioned tape-applying machinery, which plant, in many cases, was located hundreds of miles away from the printing plant and from the distributor of the printed material. This procedure was costly in both time and money.

It is apparent that the spacing of the areas of adhesive transfer tape applied to the sheets of material fed through the machine varies with the size of the sheet material involved. Another variable with which the machine must deal is the form or pattern of the areas of adhesive transfer tape applied to the sheet material. For example, the tape can be applied in long strips or in spots. In the latter case, the size and spacing of the spots can vary. The tape applying machines heretofore made are not readily adaptable to these varying conditions. Moreover, difficulty is encountered in operating the machines at high speeds, particularly where the sheet material is thin and fragile, for any relative movement between the tape and the sheet material in the process of applying such tape will tear the sheet material.

it is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a tape applying machine which can be readily adjusted to receive sheet material and adhesive tape of widely varying widths and lengths and to apply the tape to a number of areas of the sheet material with a variety of patterns and special arrangement in a single pass of the sheet material through the machine. A related object of the invention is to provide a tape applying machine which can selectively apply a strip of adhesive tape extending the full length of the sheet material involved or in spots thereon.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine for applying strips of adhesive tape at high feeding rates to even thin, fragile sheet materials.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine as described above in the various objects which is 2 light-in-weight, compact, rugged and of relatively simple construction.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a horizontal support bar extends over a sheet feeding table in a direction transversely to the direction of movement of the sheet material thereover. The support bar is most advantageously adapted to carry a variable number of tape applying units supported thereon for individual movement therealong and lockable in any adjusted position, so that strips of adhesive tape can be applied to a variety of spaced points on the sheet material involved. A wide selection of spacial arrangements of any given adhesive tape pattern is thus provided in a single pass of the sheet material through the machine.

Each of the tape applying units preferably includes a movably mounted tape applying head through which passes the unwound end portion of a roll of adhesive tape. A roll of adhesive transfer tape is most advantageously carried upon a pivot stand mounted directly upon each tape applying unit, so that movement of the tape applying unit along the support bar will automatically move the pivot stand with it. Each pivot stand is preferably adjustably supported upon the tape applying unit to accommodate different widths of adhesive tape, and the associated tape applying head is provided with means for providing a tape receiving channel of varying width to accommodate different tape widths.

In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, each tape applying head is mounted for up and down movement from a raised position spaced substantially from the top of the feed table to a lowered position where the tape passing therethrough can be applied to a tape feeding roller mounted contiguous to the feed table. The tape feeding roller has a peripheral speed which is substantially identical to the speed of movement of the sheet material through the machine. Thus, there is no drag or relative movement between the adhesive tape and the sheet material, permitting the machine to operate at high feeding speeds with extremely thin and fragile sheet material.

In the embodiment of the invention utilizing a multiplicity of tape applying units as above described, the tape feeding rollers associated with the tape applying units are preferably slidably mounted upon a common drive shaft extending above the feed table in a direction parallel to said support bar. Each tape applying unit carries means which interlock with the associated slida'oly mounted tape feeding roller to properly position the same.

Each tape applying unit further preferably includes a tape severing means which is mounted for movement between an inoperative position and an operative position where it passes through the adhesive tape at a point between the tape applying head and the associated tape feeding roller after the associated tape applying head has been raised above its lowermost position.

The movement of each tape applying head and tape severing means of each tape applying unit is preferably controlled by an electric control circuit including switches operated by two or more switch operating means extending in the path of movement of the sheet material over the feed table. When the leading edge of the sheet material passes over one of the switch operating means, the circuit is prepared for operation by one of two circuit paths depending upon the position of a manual switch having two positions for selecting either a continuous strip application operation or a strip spotting operation. In the continuous strip operation, the application of adhesive tape to the sheet of material involved begins with the passage of the leading edge thereof by the latter switch operating means and it continues until the trailing edge of the sheet passes over another switch actuating means which establishes a circuit which operates the tape severing means. During a strip spotting operation, the operation of the tape applying head and tape severing means is under control of a rotatably mounted timing disk. When the leading edge of the sheet of material passes over the former switch actuating means, the timing disk is rotated from a given reference position at a fixed speed so that the angular position thereof at any moment is a function of the position of the leading edge of the sheet material passing through the machine from a tape applying station thereof which, in the above-described form of the invention, would be the tape feeding roller. The timing disk carries a number of variably spaceable timing means which are successively brought opposite an actuating means which operates the tape applying head and tape severing means involved.

In one form of the invention, the timing disk is made of cardboard or the like with index lines at the periphery thereof identified by suitable numbers which indicate in length units the spacing between the leading edge of the sheet material passing through the machine and the tape feeding roller at the instant the point of the disk involved passes by the actuating means. The variably spaceable timing means above referred to may be the index lines or, in a preferred form of the invention, arcuate slots cut in the periphery of the cardboard in a desired pattern corresponding to the locations on the sheet material at which the adhesive tape is to be applied. By means of micro-switches, photocells, etc. or the like, responsive to the passage of the margins of the slots, the timing of the operation of the tape applying head and the tape severing means involved can be readily controlled.

In the form of the invention utilizing a number of tape applying units, the tape applying heads and tape severing means thereof are most advantageously mechanically actuated by a single drive shaft overlying the feed table and extending in a direction parallel to the tape applying unit support bar. The drive shaft carries a series of drive gears slidably mounted thereupon and the individual tape applying units carry means for interlocking with the associated gears to fix the position thereof relative to the tape applying units. Each tape applying unit has linkage mechanism which couple the movement of the associated drive gear to both its tape applying head and the tape severing means. The common drive shaft is driven by a very unique partial revolution escapement mechanism which rotates the drive shaft a fraction of a revolution when a tape applying operation is called for and then drives the drive shaft to complete a revolution when a tape severing operation is called for.

Other aspects of the invention relate to details of the various elements broadly outlined above which provide for a simple, rugged and reliable operation machine. These and other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon making reference to the specification to follow, the claims and the drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred and exemplary form of the present invention;

FIG. 1A is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 1B is a fragmentary section view of the machine, taken substantially along the line lB-IB in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the machine shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is a fragmentary enlarged view of the control panel of the machine of FIG. 2, as seen along the line 2A2A in FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a view of a sheet of material which has been fed through the machine of FIG. 1 when the machine has been adjusted to provide a continuous strip extending the length of the sheet;

FIGS. 4 and 5 are views of a sheet of material which has been fed through the machine of FIG. 1 when it has been adjusted to provide spotting of the adhesive tape on the sheet;

FIG. 6 is a view of the timing disk used to control the spotting operation of the machine before the peripheral timing slots have been cut therein;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary section through the machine, taken substantially along the section plane 77 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 7A is a view of the portion of the machine shown in FIG. 7 with the pivot stand inverted in position to accommodate a different form of adhesive tape;

FIG. 7B is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view of the end portion of the tape applying unit;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view through the machine, taken substantially along the line 3-8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 8A is a vertical section through the portion of the machine shown in FIG. 9, taken substantially along line 8A8A therein;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view, partly in section, of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a vertical sectional view of the portion of the machine shown in FIG. 9, as seen substantially along the line Iii-1t therein, and shows the manner in which a tape applying unit is secured to the associated drive gear and tape feeding roller;

FIG. 11 is a view corresponding to FIG. 10 showing the manner in which the tape applying unit is disconnected from the drive gear and tape feeding roller;

FIG. 12 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevational view of the drive mechanism of the machine shown in FIG. 1 when the door on the housing of the drive mechanism has been opened;

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary plan view, partly in section, of the portion of the machine shown in FIGS. 9 and 12;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the mechanism for driving the common drive shaft which operates the tape applying heads and tape severing means of the various tape applying units of the machine when the mechanism is in a normal inoperative condition;

FIG. 14A is a view showing the relative positons of the movable parts of a tape applying unit corresponding to the drive shaft position shown in FIG. 14;

FIG. 14B is a fragmentary perspective view showing the relative positions of the timing disk and the control contacts operated thereby which result in the condition of the machine shown in FIGS. 14 and 14A;

FIG. 15 is a circuit diagram of the electrical control circuit of the machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary elevational view, partly in section, of the switch actuating mechanism operated by the leading and trailing edges of the sheet material passing over the feed table of the machine of the present invention;

FIG. 16A is a section through FIG. 16, taken substantially along the line 16A-16A therein;

FIG. 17 is a view corresponding to FIG. 14 showing the position of the drive mechanism when a tape applying operation has just been initiated and the tape applying heads are in the process of being lowered;

FIG. 17A is a view corresponding to FIG. 14A showing the relative positions of the movable parts of a tape applying unit corresponding to the position of the drive shaft shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 17B is a view corresponding to FIG. 14B showing the positions of the timing disk and the associated control contacts controlled thereby which result in the condition of the machine shown in FIGS. 17 and 17A;

FIG. 17C is a transverse section through the cam block tape applying head shown in FIG. 17A, taken substantially along the line 17C-17C therein;

FIG. 18 is a view corresponding to FIG. 17 showing the position of the drive mechanism an instant later when the tape applying head has been carried to its lowermost positon where the end of the tape is first applied to the sheet of material passing through the machine;

FIG. 18A is a view corresponding to FIG. 17A showing the relative positions of the movable parts of a tape applying unit corresponding to the position of the drive shaft shown in FIG. 17;

FIG. 18B is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the tape applying head shown in FIG. 18A just prior to the time the tape applying head has been brought to its lowermost position;

FIG. 180 is a view corresponding to FIG. 18B at the instant the tape applying head has been brought to its lowermost position;

FIG. 19 is a plan view of an end portion of the tape applying head, as seen along line 19-1 in FIG. 18C;

FIG. 20 is a perspective View of a channel forming clip forming part of the assembly shown in FIG. 19;

FIG. 21 is an enlarged transverse section through the tape applying head, taken substantially along the line 21-21 in FIG. 19;

FIG. 22 is a transverse section View through the tape applying head, taken substantially along the line 22-22 of FIG. 19;

FIG. 23 is a view corresponding to-FIG. 21 when a narrower clip than that shown in FIG. 20 is applied to the tape applying head to accommodate the same to a narrower adhesive tape; and

FIG. 24 is a view corresponding to the view in FIG. 23 when the clip shown in FIG. 20 has been removed and the widest adhesive tape which can be accommodated by the tape applying head is threaded therethrough.

General description Referring now more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7, the preferred form of the invention shown therein comprises a support frame structure generally indicated by reference numeral 2 supporting a feed table 4 from the longitudinal side margins of which upwardly extend a high outside side wall 6 and a short inside side wall 8. A housing .19 is mounted on the frame structure adjacent the side wall 8, the housing containing various mechanical and electrical apparatus which control and operate various tape applying and tape severing deyices to be described. A collecting bin 9 is attached to the support structure at the outlet end of the feed table in which structure the finished sheet material handled by the machine is stacked.

The housing It) has an inner wall 11 from which various shafts and support bars extend to support and operate these devices. Manual switches for turning the machine on and controlling, to a certain extent, the type of operation carried out by the machine are located on a control panel 12 positioned on the top of the housing 10.

Adjustably supported above the feed table 4 are a number of tape applying units generally indicated by reference numeral 14, each of these units including a tape applying head generally indicated by reference numeral 16 and a tape severing means generally indicated by reference numeral 18. Associated with each of these tape applying units is a pivot stand 24 carrying at the top thereof a roll 21 of adhesive transfer tape 22 to be applied by the associated tape applying unit to a sheet of material 24 fed over the feed table in a direction generally parallel to the planes of the table side walls 6 11. The tape from the roll 21 threads through war-ions rollers to be described carried upon the stand 26 and then through the tape applying head 16.

In the exemplary form of the invention shown in FIG. 2, two tape applying units 14 are mounted upon a horizontal support bar 23 having a generally rectangular cross section and extending transversely between the side walls a and 11 at a point adjacent the front end portion of the feed table 4. As illustrated, the machine is set up to apply two lines or areas of adhesive tape 22 extending longitudinally of the sheet 24, as shown in FIG. 3. If additional lines or areas of adhesive tape are to be applied to the sheet 24, additional tape applying units 14 and associated pivot stands 26 are readily added to the machine by mounting these units on the support bar in a manner to be described.

Both the tape applying head 16 and the tape severing means 18 of the various tape applying units 14 are mechanically operated by means of a common drive shaft 25 extending between the side walls 6 and 11 above the feed table 4 and parallel to the support bar 23. The shaft 25 carries individual coupling means 26 in the form of a drive gear which imparts movement to the tape applying heads 16 and tape severing means 18. Electrically controlled drive mechanism located within the housing 10 drives the common drive shaft 25 under control of switch mechanism including a toggle switch 27 on the control panel 12, which determines whether the adhesive tape is applied in a continuous strip form as shown in FIG. 3, or a spotted form as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, and switch actuating arms 2929' (FIG. 16) extending above the level of the feed table 4 adjacent the inner feed table side wall 8 so as to be respectively actuated by the leading and trailing edges of the sheet 24 passing through the machine. The switch actuating arms 29 and 29 are longitudinally spaced relative to one another and when the leading edge of a sheet of material passes over both of these arms to depress the same, the machine begins (or is prepared to initiate) a stripping or spotting operation. When the trailing edge of the sheeted material goes by the rearwardmost of the switch control arms 29', the spotting or stripping operation is terminated.

The tape applying head 16 of each tape applying unit is mounted for movement between a raised position shown in FIGS. 7 and 14, which is the normal or inactive position of the tape applying head, and a lowered position shown best in FIG. 18C where the adhesive tape 22 is applied to a tape feeding roller 32 made of a resilient rubber-like material and located at what will be referred to as a tape applying station. The tape feeding roller 32 is keyed to a shaft 33 rotatably supported and transversely extending between the walls 6 and 11. The tape feeding roller has a peripheral speed equal to the speed of advancement of the sheet material 24 over the feed table 4.

The means for feeding the sheet material over the feed table 4 include a cylindrical roller 34 made of a rubber or other material which makes good frictional engagement with the sheet material. The roller is on a shaft 34' mounted for rotation below the feed table 4 and extends to the top of the feed table through an opening 36 therein (see FIG. 7). The roller 34 extends substantially the full Width of the feed table 4 and is located at what will be referred to as a tape feeding station positioned rear- Wa-rdly ,of the aforementioned tape applying station. Another sheet feeding roller 38 is mounted for rotation beneath the feed table 4 at the tape applying station and extends to the level of the feed table thereat through an opening 4t therein. The tape feeding rollers 32 at the tape applying station are located immediately above and substantially in contact with the sheet feeding roller 38 when the sheet material is not passing through the machine. Since the surface of the tape feeding rollers 32 are made of a resilient material, they accommodate sheet material of different thickness between them and the sheet feeding roller 38. The sheet feeding roller 38 preferably has parallel slots 38a formed therein into which comb teeth 42a (FIG. 14A) of a longitudinal comb member 42 (FIG. 9 also) which prevents .the tape from sticking in the roller 38. Should the tape applying heads be lowest before a sheet is in position to receive the tape, the tape and sheet feeding rollers are rotated at the same peripheral speed. As will appear, the adhesive tape is applied by the tape applying heads 16 first to the tape feeding rollers 32 rather than immediately between the latter rollers and the sheet passing over the sheet feeding roller 38, so that the tape feeding rollers will feed the tape at all times upon the sheet, eliminating drag or relative movement between the adhesive tape and the sheet at all times. This enables transfer of the adhesive tape at high speeds to even thin and fragile sheets of material without ripping the same.

To avoid unwanted creasing or bowing of the sheet material as it moves over the critical region of the feed table, a unique hold down and guide plate unit 41 extends between the sheet feeding and tape applying stations adjacent the inner wall 8 of the feed table, the unit 41 having a longitudinal slot 43 therein overlying the switch control arms 29 and 29' so that even thin sheets of material will be held firmly over the switch control arms to insure proper operation thereof.

A number of longitudinally spaced freely rotatable pres sure rollers 45 are provided above the sheet feeding roller 34 at the sheet feeding station to aid the positive feeding of the sheet material thereby to the tape applying station. Each pressure roller 45 is carried by a separate bracket unit including an arm 47 pivotally mounted to a bracket 49. Each bracket 49 is adjustably mounted upon a pressure roller support bar 51 having a generally rectangular cross section and which extends above the feed table transversely between the walls 6 and 11. Each bracket 49 has a square sided open slot 50 which slidably receives the support bar 51. The bracket is locked in any adjusted position on the bar by a locking screw 53 or the like threading through the bracket and bearing on the bar.

As previously indicated, a tape applying operation is initiated by the lowering of the tape applying heads 16 to bring the ends of the adhesive tapes against the associated tape feeding rollers 32. At the moment the termination of a tape applying operation is desired, the tape applying heads 16 are raised and the tape severing means 18 are moved against the adhesive tapes at points between the tape applying heads and the tape feeding rollers 32 to sever the same. In the case of a continuous stripping operation, the initiation and termination of the tape applying, operation is controlled solely by the passage of the leading and trailing edges of the sheeted material involved over the switch actuating arms 29 and 29. For a spotting operation, however, the timing for these operations is under control of a timing wheel or disk 57 shown in FIG. 6. The timing wheel or disk there shown is made of a cardboard-like material having scale markings 58 on the peripheral portion thereof calibrated at 58' in feet or other length units involved representing different posi tions along the length of the sheet material measured from the leading edge thereof. In a manner to be described in more detail below, the timing disk 57 is mounted for rotation relative to a resilient switch actuating arm 59 shown in FIG. 14B. The cardboard material of the disk is cut away to form peripheral slots along those segmental areas encompassed between the members identifying the points on the sheet material between which the adhesive is to be applied. The switch actuating arm 59 is spring urged against the peripheral portion of the card when a spotting operation is called for and when a peripheral slot is reached the arm springs through the slot to actuate a circuit which lowers the tape applying heads 16 to initiate a tape applying operation. When the end of a slot is reached and the switch actuating arm rides over the cardboard of the disk, a tape severing operation is initiated to terminate the tape applying operation.

Now that the basic parts of the machine of the present invention have been introduced, the specific exemplary details thereof will now be described.

Specific description The frame structure 2. carries a small platform 60 (MG. 2) beneath the feed table 4 which table supports an electric motor 62. The shaft of the motor drives a sheave 64 which is coupled by a pulley belt 6& to a sheave 63 (FIG. 12) mounted for rotation upon a shaft 70 (see FIG. 12). The shaft 79 carries a pinion gear 71 which drives a speed reducing gear 71' secured to the shaft 38' carrying or driving the sheet feeding roller 38. The gear 71' drives a chain sprocket transmission 73 coupled to a stub shaft 33' connected to the sheet feeding roller carrying shaft 33. The pinion gear 71 also drives a speed reducing gear 75 secured to the sheet feeding roller carrying shaft 34'. The gear 75 also meshes with a gear trans mission 77 which drives the timing disk 57 in a manner to be described. 7

The shaft 79 carries a sprocket 72 which meshes with a chain 74 driving a sprocket member 76 having an in ternal sleeve 76a mounted for free rotation about a stub shaft 7 8 rotatably mounted in bearings 7979 in support walls 813l'. The stub shaft carries a number of thrust bearings 89 on one side of the sprocket member 76 (FIG. 13) held on the end of the shaft by lock nuts 77. The sprocket member 76 has a hub portion 76b adjacent a friction disk 82 surrounding the stub shaft and mounted for rotation with the sprocket member 76. The end face of the friction disk opposite the sprocket member is contiguous to a cam wheel 84 keyed to the stub shaft 78. The cam wheel is loosely driven by the friction disk 82 when the latter is loosely forced against the cam wheel 84 and makes a firm driving connection therewith when the friction disk 82 is forced tightly against the cam wheel 84. A thrust bearing 85 is sandwiched between the hub portion 84a of the cam wheel 84 and the support wall 81. The stub shaft 78 has a socket 88 at its inner end having a semi-cylindrical inner portion 88a and a cylindrical outer portion 88b. The socket 88 receives a complementary shaped end portion 25a of the aforementioned common drive shaft 25. Rotation of the stub shaft 78 will, therefore, effect rotation of the drive shaft 25.

The tight or loose contact between the friction disk 82 and the wheel 84 is controlled by an actuating lever arm 91 carried at its inner end by the armature 93 (FIG. 14) of a solenoid 94 to be sometimes referred to as a clutch solenoid. The outer end of the lever arm 91 terminates in an apertured end portion 95 surrounding the stub shaft 78 between a pair of the thrust bearings 80. When the clutch solenoid 94 is energized, the movement of the armature 93 will tilt the lever arm 91 tightly to force the cam wheel $4 against the friction disk 82 which in turn is forced tightly against the cam wheel 84 to drive with the required force the various moving parts of the tape applying units 14. When the solenoid 94 is de-energized, the friction disk 82 makes a relatively loose contact with the cam wheel 84 which is, however, sufficient to impart a small degree of rotation to the drive shaft 25 provided the drive shaft 25 is not otherwise locked against rotation.

As shown best in FIG. 14, means 99 are provided for locking and unlocking the stub shaft 78. As will appear, the timing of the locking and unlocking action of this means determines the timing of the tape applying and tape severing operations referred to above. When a tape operation is to be initiated, the common drive shaft 25 is advanced approximately /2 a revolution from a reference position during which time the aforementioned tape applying heads 16 of the various tape applying units 14 are lowered into a tape applying position and the tape severing means 18 is elevated to cock the same to prepare for operation in a manner to be described. At the end of a half revolution, the common drive shaft 25 is locked in position by the locking means 99. When a tape severing operation is called for, the locking means is operated to release the shaft 25 for rotation of a half revolution to return it to the aforesaid reference position where the locking means again locks the shaft. During its second half revolution, the tape applying heads 16 are elevated and the tape severing means 18 are released under spring tension to sever the tape at a point between the tape applying heads and the associated tape feeding rollers 32.

The locking means 99 illustrated comprises a bell crank lever 162 forming an escapement mechanism pivoted for movement about a pivot 104. In one extreme position the lever 102 locks the common drive shaft 25 in said reference position and in the other extreme position thereof it locks the common drive shaft 25 in the one half revolution position referred to. To this end, one arm 102a of the bell crank lever has an end which is normally in the path of movement of a stop block 106 carried by the cam wheel 84 to lock the cam wheel 84 against rotation and the stub shaft 78 and drive shaft 25 connected to it. A spring 108 secured to the arm 192a urges the other arm 1612b against a limit pin 110 which determines the normal locking position of the bell crank lever.

The cam wheel 84 has a pair of peripheral depressions 84a and 84b spaced approximately /2 a revolution apart. A switch actuating roller 115 carried on a downwardly spring urged arm 117 extending from a switch housing 119 rides on the periphery of the cam wheel 84 and is located at the end of depression 34a when the drive shaft 25 is locked in its reference position by the bell crank lever. Associated with the roller carrying arm 117 is a switch 120 which is opened when the roller 115 is riding within depression 84a or 84b and is closed when the roller rides upon the periphery of the cam wheel 84 between these depressions. The armature 111 of a solenoid 113, to be referred to as an escapement solenoid, is secured to an intermediate point on the arm 102a in a manner where energization of the solenoid pivots the bell crank lever clockwise away from the limit pin 110 and the stop block 1%, thereby permitting rotation of the drive shaft 25 from its reference position by the friction clutch mechanism described above. The escapement solenoid is thus energized when a tape applying operation is called for. As will appear from a description of the circuit diagram shown in FIG. 15 to be given below, as the cam wheel moves away from its reference position the roller leaves the depression to close contacts 120 and thereby energize clutch solenoid 94 to effect a firm driving connection between the friction disk 82 and the cam wheel 34. The driving force now applied to the drive shaft 25 is suflicient to operate the various movable parts of the tape applying units 14 including the tape applying heads 16 and tape severing means 18.

When the drive shaft 25 has rotated approximately /2 revolution from its reference position during which time the tape applying heads 16 are lowered into a tape applying position, a stop block 106 engages a shoulder 121 (FIG. 18) formed by a laterally extending portion 123 of the lever arm 16212. The switch operating roller 115 then rides in the depression 34b of the cam wheel 84. Again, the associated switch 120 is opened which deenergizes the clutch solenoid 94 to provide for a loose connection between the friction disk 82 and the cam wheel 84, permitting an almost frictionless contact between the friction disk and the cam wheel.

When a tape severing operation is called for, the escapement solenoid 113 is de-energized which allows the spring 108 to pull the bell crank lever in a counterclockwise direction against the limit pin which frees the cam wheel 84 for rotation for /2 revolution where the stop block 106 abuts against the end of the bell crank lever arm 102a. As the second half revolution begins, the roller 115 leaves the depression 84b which again closes the contacts 120 to energize the clutch solenoid 94 to effect a tight engagement between the friction disk 82 and the cam wheel 84. As previously indicated, the second half revolution results in the raising of the tape applying heads 16 of the various tape applying units 14 and the uncocking or release of the tape severing means 18 which drops to sever the tapes between the tape applying heads 16 and the tape feeding rollers 32.

As previously indicated, the common drive shaft 25 carries a number of coupling gears 26. Each of these coupling gears in the illustrated embodiment of the invention includes a gear forming portion 26a (FIG. 9) which meshes with a gear 128 mounted upon the associated tape applying unit 14, and a cylindrical hub portion 26b axially projecting from the gear forming portion 2611. A sleeve 126 is rotatably mounted on the hub portion 26b and the sleeve has a peripheral locking groove 127 therein. The hub portion 26b has a generally longitudinal cylindrical opening 129 which receives the drive shaft 25 and 1G with a longitudinal rib 131 extending inwardly thereof and slidably disposed in a longitudinal slot 133 in the shaft 25 to act as a key which rotates the coupling gear with the drive shaft 25.

The drive shaft 25 is mounted at its inner end within a bearing 136 secured within an opening 137 in the side wall 11 of the machine structure. The outer end of the drive shaft 25 is rotatably mounted within a bearing 138 (FIG. 1A) anchored in an opening 139 in the other side wall 6 of the machine structure. The shaft 25 can readily be removed from the latter opening in the side wall 6 by pivoting shaft holding means generally indicated by reference 141 and then sliding the shaft out of the bearing 138. The shaft holding means may take any one of a number of forms. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, it comprises a rectangular bar 149 pivoted intermediate its ends about a pivot screw 142 threading into the side wall 6. The bar 146 is normally held in a vertical position by a coil spring 143 extending at an angle to the axis of the bar on the left side thereof between a pin 145 thereon and a stationary pin 144 anchored to the side wall 6. The spring urges the bar 140 against a limit pin 146 which orients the bar 1419 in a vertical position where it covers over the end of the shaft holding opening 135 and also an opening 148 in the side wall 6 in which a shaft bearing 15%) is anchored. The bearing 15% rotatably supports the tape feeding roller carrying shaft 33, which is removable from the machine in the same manner as the drive shaft 25.

A handle 152 extending axially from the end of the bar 149 is grasped and rotated in a clockwise direction into a position against a limit pin 154 to expose the ends of the shafts 25 and 33. Due to the angle between the spring 14-3 and the longitudinal axis of the bar 149, the spring 143 then urges the bar 141 in a clockwise direction against the pin 154 since the spring is then on the right side of the bar.

Referring to FIGS. 81 1, each of the tape applying units 14 is an integral unit having a vertical mounting plate 157 upon which most of the moving parts of the tape applying unit are mounted. The plate 157 is secured to a mounting block 159 having a vertical leg 159a with a lateral opening 163 (FIG. 8) formed therein. As shown most clearly in FIG. 9, the bottom of the vertical leg 159a of the mounting block 159 has a clearance slot 164 into which the gear forming portion 26a of the associated coupling gear 26 is freely rotatable. A pair of horizontally elongated rib members 165-168 (FIG. 8) are secured by screws 1711-1172 to the outer surface of the leg 159a on opposite sides of the opening 163. The rib members are slidably disposed within a horizontal slot 174 in the tape applying unit support bar 23. The slot 174 communicates with a larger slide member-receiving slot 177 in the support bar 23. Slidably disposed in the larger slot 177 are a number of slide members 180 for adjustably securing the respective tape applying units upon the support bar 23. The slide members 180 are individually slidable within the slot 177 and are removable therefrom at the right hand end thereof shown in FIG. 13, clearance therefor being provided by a slot 178 formed in the support bar 23. Each comprises a generally rectangular head portion 139a slidable in the slot 177 and a threaded shank portion 18% which extends through the opening 163 in the vertical leg 15% of the mounting block 159. A cylindrical locking nut 182 threads over the projecting threaded portion of the shank 18% securely to lock the tape applying unit in place. Tightening of the nut 182 clamps the entire mounting block 159 tightly against the support bar 23.

The mounting block 159 has a horizontal leg 15% with a pivot stand mounting slot 185 in the top thereof. The slot 135 has a vertical longitudinal rear surface 135a (FIG. 8A), a flat bottom surface 185!) and a downwardly and forwardly inclined front surface 135a. A pressure bar 137 is adjustably mounted along the rear side of the slot 185 by a screw 189 (FIGS. 8A and 9) mounted for 1 1 sliding movement within a lateral bore 191 formed in the vertical leg of the mounting block 159.

The pivot stand 20 supported on each tape applying unit includes .a vertically extending standard 192 terminating at its bottom in a horizontally extending mounting arm 194 having downwardly and outwardly sloping opposite side surfaces 194a-194a (FIG. 8A) corresponding in size and shape to the downwardly and outwardly inolined surface 1850 of the pivot stand receiving slot 185 in the horizontal leg 15912 of the mounting block 159. The inner side 187a of the pressure bar 187 inclines downwardly and outwardly to form a surface complementary in shape to the inclined surface 194a or 194b of the horizontal mounting arm 194 of the pivot stand. The pivot stand is thus anchored in place upon its associated tape applying unit by sliding the mounting arm 194- thereof within the slot 185 of the mounting block and then tightening a screw 197 (FIG. 9) extending through an opening iin the horizontal leg 15912 of the mounting block to force the shank portion thereof against the vertical rear face 187b of the pressure 'bar 187.

When a tape applying unit has been anchored in place upon the support bar 23, the common drive shaft 25 free- 1y passes through a horizontally extending clearance opening 201 (FIGS. 10-11) formed in the forwardly facing edge 157a of the mounting plate 157. The mounting plate further has a notch 203 formed in its bot tom edge to provide clearance for the passage of the tape feeding roller carrying shaft 33.

The mounting plate'157 of each tape applying unit carries a locking assembly generally indicated by reference numeral 204 best shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, which fixes the position of the associated coupling gear 26 on the shaft 25 and the associated tape feeding roller 32 on the shaft 33. The locking means 204 includes a first locking head 206 having a curved bottom edge 208 adapted to enter the aforementioned peripheral locking slot 127 (FIG. 9) formed in the sleeve 126 of the coupling gear 26. The locking head 206 is pivotally supported at one end upon the mounting plate 157 by a pivot screw 210. An actuating ar-m 212 extends at right angles to the locking head 206 from the pivoted end thereof. A coil spring 214 secured between a pin 216 on the locking head and a stationary pin 218 on the mounting plate 157 urges the mounting head 206 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 10 toward the coupling gear sleeve 126. To release the locking head 206 "from the coupling gear, the arm 212 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction into the position shown in FIG. 11 by a locking link 220 pivotably mounted upon the mounting plate 157 by a pivot screw 222. The link 220 is normally urged by a coil spring 225, anchored between a pin 223 on the link 220 and a pin 227 carried on an arm 229, against a limit pin 231' (-FIG. 10). When the link 220 is pivoted in a counterclockwise direction to the position shown in FIG. 11, the pin 223 carried by the link 220 bears against the inner edge of the arm 212 to pivot the locking head 206 counterclockwise to a position where it bears against the limit pin 231. The coil spring 2.25 holds the link 220 in the latter position.

The arm 229 extends at right angles from the end of a locking head 23 1 having a curved bottom surface 232 adapted to extend into a slot 234 (FIG. 9) in a sleeve 235 rotatably mounted around the hub portion 32a of the tape feeding roller 32. A cylindrical sleeve 32b of resilient material surrounds the hub portion 32a and makes contact with the adhesive transfer tape 22 in the manner broadly described above. As in the case of the coupling gear 26, the hub portion 32a surrounds a drive shaft 33 which has a cylindrical slot 240 which slidably receives a rib 238 extending inwardly from the hub portion 32a. When-the link 220 is in its normal night hand position shown in FIG. 10, the spring 225 pulls the arm 229 to the right and the locking head 232 down into the sleeve slot 234 to fix the position of the associated tape 12 feeding roller 32 on the shaft 33. When the link 220 is moved to its extreme clockwise position shown in FIG. 10 and the pin 223 thereof urges the upper end of the arm 212 to the left as shown in FIG. 11, the spring 235 is also moved to the left which forces the arm 229 to the left to raise the locking head 2-31 from the sleeve 235 and release the tape feeding roller 32 from locking engagement with the locking head 231.

Refer now more particularly to the details of the tape applying head shown in FIGS. 7, 7A, 14, 14A, 18B and 21-24. The tape applying head 16 comprises a sheet metal body 24-3 having side walls 245-245 bridged by a wall 247. The wall 247 includes a flat wall portion 247a (FIG. 7A) along which the adhesive tape 22 first passes, an adjacent intermediate wall portion 247b inclined with respect to the intermediate wall portion 247a and a narrow end wall portion 2470 constituting a mouth in cooperation with inwardly extending wings 249-249 extending from the narrow end portion of the side walls 245-245, where the wings are in contiguous relation to the end wall portion 2470, to confine the end of the tape as it passes from the tape applying head. The intermediate wall portion 247b has a boss 251 (FIG. 22) protruding from the upper side thereof with a central threaded hole 253, and a first pair of widely spaced slits 255-255 (FIG. 7A) spaced transversely across the tape applying head. The slits 255-255 are located longitudinally of the point on the intermediate wall portion 247b at which the central hole 253 is located. A pair of correspondingly positioned spaced slits 257-257 are located on the other side of the central hole 253. A pair of relatively narrow spaced slits 259-259 are located and centered within slits 255-255, and a pair of corresponding slits 261-261 are centered within the aforementioned slits 257-257. The respective pairs of rela- .tively widely and closely spaced slits are adapted respectively to receive .the transversely spaced tongues 260-260 of tape channel-forming members 262 and 262 which are sized to receive intermediate and small width tapes, as shown respectively in FIGS. 21 and 23. A pair of the tape channel-forming members 262 or 262 are mounted transversely on the top side of the intermediate wall portion 247b with the tongues 260-260 projecting downwardly through the associated slits 255-255 and 257- 257 or 259-259 and 26 1-26 1. The members 262 or 262 are held in place by a longitudinally extending spring clip 268 anchored to the boss 251 by a shouldered screw 270 threading into the threaded hole 253. As an additional aid in keeping the adhesive tape adjacent to the wall 247 of the tape applying head, the side walls 245- 245 are provided with inwardly and upwardly extending tabs 271-271. For maximum width tape, the channelforrning members 262 or 262 are removed altogether from the tape applying head so that the tape 22 extends between the side walls 245-245, as shown in FIG. 24.

It is important that the mouth of the tape applying head 16 above-mentioned and the inwardly extending tongues 271-271 do not grip the tape so that the tape is free to pass through the tape applying head during a tape applying operation. However, when the tape applying head initially moves downwardly to bring the tape against the associated tape feeding roller (and also when the tape severing operation occurs) it is highly desirable that the adhesive tape be held against relative movement with respect to the tape applying head. To this end, pinch clamp means 280 (FIGS. 18B and 18C) are provided for normally clamping the adhesive tape against the wall portion 247a of the tape applying head. This pinch clamp means 280 comprises an elongated spring metal clamp member 282 mounted on a stub shaft 234 journalcd within the side walls 245-245 of the tape applying head. A coil spring 286 wound around the shaft 284 and anchored to one'of the side walls 245 urges the clamp memher 282 in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 18B or 13C toward the wall 247 to clamp the tape thereagainst. The distance between the axis of the shaft 284 and the inner end of the clamp member 282 is slightly greater than the distance between the axis and the nearest point on the wall 247 of the tape applying head, so that the clamp member extends at a substantial angle to the wall 247. It is preferred that this spring pressure be relatively small, that is just of suflicient strength to hold the adhesive tape in place during the tape severing operation to be described, which requires only a very light spring force. The tape applying heads may move upwardly with respect to the tape while the tape is still being fed by the tape feeding roller 32 without scraping off the adhesive layer which is on the *bottom side of the tape. The large angle between the clamp member 282 and the wall 247 serves an important function when the tape applying head suddenly moves down to initiate a tape applying operation. In such case, a sudden substantial increase in the tension in the tape 22 may occur as it is pulled down, and the resulting tension pulls the inner end of the clamp member 282 tightly against the tape to prevent any relative movement between the tape and the tape applying head under these severe conditions. The spring 286 serves no significant function in this regard. If any such relative movement should occur at this point, the tape would not be applied to the proper point on the tape feeding roller and jamming of the machine or tearing of the sheet material to which the tape is applied could sometimes result. The clamp member is released automatically from contact with the tape whenthe tape applying head is near its lowermost position and the tape is applied to the tape feeding roller 32 by the engagement of the outer end of the clamp member with the head of a screw 289 adjustably supported on a bracket 291.

The tape applying head 16 is secured by a bracket 290 to the end of an arm 292 pivotally supported from the mounting plate 157 by any suitable pivot forming means 294 at the opposite end of the arm 292. As shown perhaps more clearly in FIG. 14A or 18A, the arm 292 is urged in a downward direction by a coil spring 225 connected between a pin 297 extending from the arm 292 and a stationary pin 299 extending from the mounting plate 157. The downward movement of the tape applying head is limited by a vertically adjusted stop screw 300 (see FIG. 7 or FIG. 18C) adjustably carried on a bracket 3G2 secured to the mounting plate 157.

The gear 128, which is driven by one of the coupling gears 26 on the common drive shaft 25, carries an eccentrically mounted roller 303 which is adapted to engage a concave portion 305 in the arm 292 to raise the tape applying head against the force of the spring 295. In the normal inoperative condition of the machine, as above indicated, the tape applying head is in the raised position indicated in FIG. 14 at which time the common drive shaft 25 is in the aforesaid reference position. When the drive shaft 25 makes the /2 revolution at the beginning of a tape applying operation, the gear 128 is also rotated /2 a revolution and the eccentric roller 3G3 carried thereby to enable the tape applying head to drop into its fully lowered position as shown in FIG. 18 and 18C under force of the spring 295.

During the downward movement of the tape applying head, the tape severing means 18 is raised or cocked to a position whereupon the second half revolution of the drive shaft 25 it will be released to sever the tape. The tape severing means as illustrated comprises a serrated razor sharp knife blade 310 secured by a screw 312 (FIG. 14A) to a transverse arm 314- extending from an arm 31d pivotally supported on a pivot pin 318 extending from the mounting plate 157. The arm 316 carrying the knife blade 316 is urged downward by a coil spring 322 extending between a stationary pin 323 on the mounting plate 157 and a heel 321' extending from a cam operated arm 321. The cam operated arm 321 extends at an angle from the pivoted end of the arm 316 and is located in a plane adjacent the mounting plate 157 (FIG. 17C) in the path of movement of a relatively short outermost cam segment 324 of a cam block 326 carried by the gear 128. As soon as the gear 128 begins rotating from its reference position, the outer cam segment 324 engages the cam operated arm 321 and rotates the same in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 17A or a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 17. This raises the arm 316 carrying the knife blade 310 against the restoring force of the spring 322.

During the lowering of the tape applying head during the first /2 revolution of movement of the common drive shaft 25, a latching mechanism generally indicated by reference numeral 330 is pivoted into a latching position which holds the knife blade in a raised position. The latching mechanism 330 includes a latch arm 332 pivoted upon a pivot pin 334 extending from the mounting plate 7 157. The latch arm 332 has an offset outer end portion 335 defining a latching shoulder 336. The outer end portion of the latch arm 332 is in the path of movement of an inner segment 337 (FIG. 14C) of the cam block 326 and is engaged thereby soon after the gear 128 starts its first /2 revolution, as illustrated in FIG. 17A. When the cam segment 337 engages the latch arm 332 it rotates the same counterclockwise as viewed in FIG. 14A and clockwise as viewed in FIG. 14 against the restraining force of a coil spring 340 anchored between a pin 342 (FIG. 14A) carried by a projecting block 344 extending from the mounting plate 157 and a pin 346 extending from the latch arm 332. The downward movement of the latch arm is limited by the engagement of the heel portion 332' of the latch arm with a stop pin 350 (FIG. 18A).

Prior to the completion of the first /2 revolution of the gear 128, the latch arm 332 leaves the inner segment 337 of the cam block before the arm 321 associated with the knife blade carrying arm 336 loses contact with the outer cam segment 324, which allows the latch arm to be pulled by the coil spring 340 downwardly. The offset end portion 335 of the latch arm 332 then engages with a laterally extending projection 347 on the knife blade carrying arm 316 (FIG. 18A) which thereafter prevents the dropping of the knife blade carrying arm until the latch arm 332 is again engaged by the cam block 326, which occurs during the second half revolution of the gear 123. As is apparent from a comparison of FIG. 18A and FIG. 14A, this occurs near the end of the second half revolution of movement of the gear 128.

As previously indicated, the second half revolution of the gear 128 is initiated when a tape severing operation is called for. Then, as the gear 128 turns, the roller 303 carried by the gear 128 will engage the then lowered tape applying head carrying arm 292 to raise the same out of the way of the path of movement of the knife blade 31%. Then, the engagement of the cam block 326 with the latch arm 332 will rotate the same in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 18A or a clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 18, to move the latch arm out of the path of movement of the latching projection 347 on the knife blade carrying arm 316, allowing the coil spring 322 to pull the knife blade carrying arm 321 downwardly. The knife blade then cuts through the :portion of the adhesive tape extending between the mouth of the raised tape applying head and the associated tape feeding roller.

Refer now to FIG. 7 and FIG. 13 in connection with the following description of the pivot stand 20. As previously indicated, the pivot stand includes a standard 192 terminating in a transversely extending mounting arm 194 which is slidably disposed within the slot formed in the mounting block 159 of the associated tape applying unit 14. The mounting leg 1% is adjusted in position within the slot 185 by tightening the adjusting screw 19] which presses against the pressure bar 187 mounted within the slot 185. The standard 192 rotatably supports at the top thereof about a pivot screw 352 a reel assembly 354 upon which the roll 21 of adhesive transfer tape 22 is mounted. The reel assembly 354 may be 15 any well known form of reel assembly which receives a roll of adhesive tape wound upon a cylindrical tube 356 of cardboard or the like. The tube 356 fits over the reel assembly and bears against an end plate 358 thereof which, therefore, fixes the position of one side of the roll of adhesive transfer tape with respect to the pivot stand. As the Width of the tape varies, the mounting arm 194 of the pivot stand must be accordingly bodily adjusted within the slot 185. To aid in determining the exact positions of the pivot stand when using the various widths, three spaced index lines 360 extending transversely between the longitudinal margins of the arm 194 are marked on the upper surface thereof (FIG. 13) and are respectively positioned in alignment with an index line 362 on the mounting block 159 for the wide, intermediate and narrow width tapes shown in FIGS. 21, 23 and 24.

The pivot stand arrangement shown in FIG. 7 is for a roll of adhesive transfer tape with an exposed tacky side on the inner side of the windings of tape on the roll 21. To enable the tape to be held under tension between the roll of adhesive transfer tape and the associated tape applying head 16, a series of pivoted rollercarrying arms are mounted upon the standard 192. One of these arms 364 is pivotally mounted about its upper end on the same axis as the pivot axis of the reel assembly 354. A second arm 366 is pivotally mounted at one end to the bottom end of the arm 364, the other end of the arm 366 carrying a rotatably mounted roller 368 having a width greater than the width of the widest tape to be used with the stand 20. The arm 364 is urged downwardly and in a generally clockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 7 by a coil spring 370 anchored at one end from a pin 372 on the arm 364 and a pin 374 extending from the standard 192. The arm 366 is urged upwardly in a generally counterclockwise direction by a coil spring 376 anchored at one end to a pin 373 on the arm 364 and a pin 380 carried on the arm 366. The coil spring 376 urges the roller 368 against the outer periphery of the roll of adhesive transfer tape 22. As the tape unwinds from the roll, it passes down around the roller 368 and then down around a roller 381 of the same size as the roller 368 carried on the end of an arm 383 fixedly mounted on the standard 192. The tape then extends upwardly where it then passes around a roller 385 carried upon the bottom end of an arm 387 extending on the side of the standard 192 opposite to that from which the stationary arm 383 extends. The arm 387 is pivoted at its upper end about a pivot point 389 at a point between the end plate 358 of the reel assembly and the standard 192. A spring 391 anchored at one end to the arm 387 and at the other end to a pin 393 on the standard 192 urges the arm 387 upwardly. The various arms 364, 366 and 387 are obviously supported for movement in different planes so that these arms are free to move relative to one another. The adhesive transfer tape extending around the last-mentioned roller 385 passes directly into the tape applying head 16. The upwardly urged roller carrying arm 387 keeps the unwound portion of the adhesive transfer tape extending to the tape applying head under tension to eliminate any slack in the tape when the tape applying head 16 moves between the lowermost and uppermost positions thereof.

The mounting of the pivot arm 194 in an open-ended slot 185 in the mounting block 159 permits the entire pivot stand to be mounted in the position shown in FIG. 7A, which is inverse to the position thereof shown in FIG. 7. The reverse position of the pivot stand is required when the adhesive tape is of a type where the exposed tacky side thereof is on the outside rather than the inside of the windings of tape 21. As shown in FIG. 7A, the arm 387 is pivoted to extend on the same side of the standard 192 as does the stationary arm 383.

Refer now more particularly to FIGS. 6, 9, 12 and 13 which i l fil i g the apparatus for controlling the spotting operation through the cardboard timing disk 57. The timing disk 57 (FIG. 6) is provided with a central circular opening 57a and a pair of mounting holes 57b-57b on opposite sides of the central opening. The timing disk is supported upon a wheel assembly generally indicated by reference numeral 400. The wheel assembly includes a wheel body 402 having a hub portion 404 (FIG. 13). The hub portion 404 has a central bearing 406 which rotatably supports the wheel body upon a cylindrical post 408. The wheel body is held on the post by an assembly comprising a spacer sleeve 442, thrust bearing 446, spacer sleeve 448 and lock nuts 450-450 surrounding the post 408 in the order named, the nuts threading over the split end of the post.

The wheel body 402 is provided with a pair of threaded pins 410410 which pass through the mounting holes 57b-57b of the timing disk 57 accurately to position the same. The central opening 57a of the disk is sufficiently large freely to receive a projecting portion of the post 408 and a coil spring 411 surrounding the post 408. A clamping plate 412 is mounted upon the outside of the timing disk 57 with the threaded pins 410410 passing through corresponding openings 413-413 in the clamping plate. Clamping nuts 414-414 thread over the projecting threaded ends of the aforementioned pins securely to clamp the timing disk 57 between the clamping plate 412 and the wheel body 402.

The outer face of the hub portion 404 of the wheel body 402 has an annular slot 416 in which is securely mounted a rubber O-ring 417 which projects beyond the confines of the slot. A drive gear 419 forming part of the gear train 77 is rotatably mounted upon the post 408 adjacent the outer hub face of the wheel body and a circular concave spring member 421 is sandwiched between the drive gear 419 and the hub face of the wheel body 402. As will appear, the O-ring 417, the drive gear 419 and the spring member 421 form a friction clutch. A thrust bearing 423 surrounds the post 408 behind the drive gear 419. A clutch actuating bar 426 mounted at one end around the armature extension 428 of a solenoid 430 (to be referred to as a spotting solenoid) has an opening 432 at the other end which receives the post 408 behind thrust bearing 423. The post 408 has an enlarged inner end portion 433 providing a shoulder 431 facing the actuating bar 426 of the post 408. A coil spring 417 normally urges the actuating bar 426 against the shoulder 431. The armature extension 428 has a coil spring 435 extending therearound and sandwiched between one face of the actuating bar 426 and a pair of lock nuts 437 threaded around the threaded end of the extension 428. The outward movement of the armature extension 428 is limited by an adjustable stop nut assembly 439. When the spotting solenoid 430 is energized, the armature extension 428 is moved to the right which, through the resilient coupling provided by the coil spring 435, pushes the actuating bar 426 to the right. This moves the thrust bearing 423 and the driving gear 419 to the right, compressing the spring member 421 to bring the side face of the drive gear 419 against the O-ring 417, thereby to couple the rotation of the drive gear 419 to the wheel assembly 400. De-energizing of the spotting solenoid obviously de-couples the wheel assembly from the drive gear 419.

The coil spring 411 serves the purpose of urging the timing disk wheel assembly into a reference position where the switch actuating member is next to the 0 (zero) index mark on the timing disk. To this end, one end of the coil spring 411 passes transversely through an axial slot 452 formed by the split end of the post 408 and between the lock nuts 450 and 456 threading over the post 408. The other end of the coil spring is seated around the spacer sleeve 442 and anchored around a pin 462 extending from the hub portion 404 of the wheel body. The coil spring 411 urges a stop block 463 carried on the inner face of the wheel body 402 against a sta- 17 tionary stop member 465 which may comprise a resilient sleeve 465 surrounding a stationary post 467 (FIG. 13).

The switch actuating member 59 is connected by a rod 470 to the armature of the spotting solenoid 430 and by a suitable coupling rod 471 to a normally open switch 4-71 in a switch housing 476. When the solenoid 430 is de-energized, the switch actuating member 59 is spaced rearwardly a small amount from the rear surface of the timing disk 57. When the solenoid is energized, the armature thereof is moved to the right to urge the switch actuating member 59 against the timing disk 57. The contacts 47]. remain open until the switch actuating member 59 springs through a slot formed in the timing disk.

The timing disk shown in FIG. 6 is calibrated for a sheet having a maximum length of 72 inches. When a sheet in excess of this length passes through the machine, the aforementioned stop block 463 carried by the timing disk wheel assembly is brought against a switch actuating roller 473 carried on the end of an outwardly spring urged rod 473' extending from a switch housing 475 containing a set of normally-closed contacts 4-75 to be described in connection with the circuit diagram of FIG. 15. These contacts are opened by the depression of the roller 473 by the stop block 463. When this occurs, the spotting solenoid 430 becomes de-energized, resulting in the movement of the solenoid armature to the left, removing the switch actuating member 59 from the plane of the timing disk 57 and the de-coupling of the drive gear 419 from the O-ring 417 to prevent override of the timing disk wheel assembly 400.

The drive gear 419 is driven by a pinion gear 478 secured rotatably mounted upon a pivot pin 48d rotatably mounted upon a pivot pin 481. The pinion gear 478 is connected to a gear 483 in turn driven by a gear 75' secured to the shaft 34'.

As previously indicated, switch control arms 29-29 are mounted in the path of movement of the sheet material moving over the feed table 4. These control arms are secured to rotatably mounted shafts 502-5412 (see FIGS. 13, 16 and 16A) carried by brackets 504-504 beneath the feed table 4 and extending from a switch housing 5117 The feed table has a longitudinal slot Sill (FIG. 13) through which the control arms 25-29 pass. The shafts 502-592 pass into the switch housing and the portions thereof located in the housing 507 carry actuating rods &9-5419'. The shafts 502-502 are spring urged into the positions shown in FIG. 16 where they bear down against the ends of a pair of spring urged control rods 511-5111 extending to switch units 513-513 mounted within the switch housing 507. The switch units respectively include normally-open contacts 2% and 2% (FIG. 15) which are closed when the shaft operating rods 509- 509' are rotated in a counterclockwise direction from that shown in FIG. 16 by the depression of the switch actuating arms 2% and 29. This allows the spring urged rods to close the associated contacts 29a and 29b.

The switch units 513 and 513' are carried upon separate laterally spaced slide assemblies generally indicated by reference numeral 514-514 (FIG. 16A). The slide assemblies have slotted actuating arms 516-516 projecting from the one end of the switch housing 507. The actuating arms 516-516 overlie the upper leg 517 of a bracket 518 secured to an end wall of the switch housing, and locking screws 519-519 respectively extend through slots 5211-520 therein and thread into threaded holes in the upper leg 517 of the bracket 518. The brackets 5%4 and 54% carrying the shafts 5G2 and 502 are also mounted to move with the slide assemblies 516 and 516. It is thus apparent that the position and spacing of the switch actuating arms 29 and 25 are separately adjustable so that the timing of the movable parts of the machine controlling the movement of the tape applying heads 16 and tape severing means 18 can be properly adjusted.

As previously mentioned, the sheet material passing through the machine must beheld in close proximity to the feed table particularly in the neighborhood of the switch actuating arms 29 and 29' located between the sheet and tape feeding stations. To this end, the sheet holddown and guide plate 41 is provided. This plate has a vertical mounting Wall 41a with an opening 524 (FIGS. l3, l6 and 16A) for receiving a pivot pin 526 extending from the inner side wall 8 of the feed table. The mounting wall also has a horizontally elongated slot 528. A rotatably mounted cam screw 530 passes through the slot 528 and threads into an opening in the sidewall 8. The shank portion of the cam screw 530 has an eccentrically mounted cam surface 532 which bears against the upper and lower defining walls of the slot 528. When the screw 530 is rotated, the cam surface 532 bears against the slot walls to vary the tilting angle of the sheet holddown and guide plate 41 over a limited range.

The mounting wall 41a terminates at its lower margins in a transversely extending wall 41b overlying the feed table 4- from a point behind the sheet feeding station at the sheet feeding roller 34 to a point near the tape feed ing roller 32 nearest the side wall 8. The wall 4111 has a longitudinal slot 43 therein which overlays the longitudinal slot 501 in the feed table 4 and permits clearance for the switch actuating arms 29 and 29 passing up through the slot Sill from beneath the feed table 4. The slot 43 enables the wall 41b to be positioned as close to the feed table 4 as necessary determined by the position of the cam screw 530, to hold the sheet material passing through the machine solidly against the feed table, to prevent crimping of the paper. The rear end of the Wall 4111 terminates in an upwardly inclining wall portion 536 which acts as a guide for guiding the sheet material beneath the wall 41b.

As shown most clearly in FIG. 13, the portion 41b of the wall 41b on the outside of the slot 43 extends a much further distance toward the tape applying station than does the portion 41b" of the wall 4112 on the inner side thereof. The outer portion 41b of the wall 41!; holds the sheet material close to the feed table in the vicinity of the tape applying station where the switch control arm 29 is located. Tie short portion 41b" of the wall 41b provides clearance for the movement of the tape applying head 16 of the associated tape applying unit into close proximity to the tape feeding roller 32.

The sheet material fed through the machine should be oriented with the longitudinal edges thereof parallel and contiguous to the inner feed table side wall 8. To aid in properly guiding the sheet material through the machine, a guide unit 54-0 (FIGS. 1 and 1B) is adjustably supported on the support bar 51 in spaced relation to the side wall 8. The guide unit provides a straight longitudinal surface parallel to the side wall 8 and against which slides one of the longitudinal edges of the sheet material. The side wall 8 provides the other longitudinal guide surface for the other longitudinal edge of the sheet material. The guide unit 540 includes a vertical longitudinal guide wall 542 and an outwardly extending support leg 543 extending from the bottom of the vertical wall and resting on the top of the feed table 4. A mounting block 545 secured to the vertical wall 542 has an open sided bar-receiving slot 546 through which passes the support bar 51. A locking screw 547 threads through the block and bears against the bar 51 to lock the guide unit in place at a point where the distance between the inner face of the vertical wall 542 and the feed table side wall 8 is exactly the width of the sheet material.

Refer now to FIG. 15 which is a diagram of the electrical control circuit operated by the various switch contacts referred to above. The circuit illustrated therein is operated from a source of volts A.C. fed thereto through a conventional power plug 549. Power conductors 5511 and 551 extend from the power plug 549. A conductor 552 is connected between power conductor 559 and series connected contacts 2% and 2% operated by the switch control arms 29 and 29' positioned in the path of movement of sheet material through the machine. The series connected contacts 29a and 2% are connected by a conductor 554 to the movable contact 556 of a single pole triple throw switch 27a of a bank of ganged switches including switches 27b and 27c operated by the aforementioned toggle switch 27 on the control panel 12. The movable contact 556 has three stable positions, an upper position where it contacts upper contact 557, an intermediate position where the switch 27a is open and a bottom position where it engages a lower contact 55%. As will appear, the upper position of the movable contact 556 effects a tape spotting operation and the bottom position thereof effects a stripping operation.

The bottom contact 558 is connected by conductor 560 and a conductor 562 to the escapement solenoid 113 which, as previously indicated, controls the locking and unlocking of the common drive shaft 25. The solenoid 113 is connected to a common fuse 564 connected to the other power conductor 551. The upper contact 557 of the switch 27a is connected by a conductor 566 to the normally-opened contacts 471' which are closed when the switch actuating member 59 passes through a slot in the timing disk 57. The contacts 471' are connected to the conductor 562 leading to the escapement solenoid 113.

It will be recalled that, when the escapement solenoid 113 is energized, the drive shaft 25 is rotated /2 revolution to lower the tape applying heads 16 into a tape applying position. When the toggle switch 27 is adjusted for continuous stripping operation (i.e. when movable contact 556 engages lower contact 557), the escapement solenoid 113 becomes energized as soon as the leading edge of a sheet of material reaches the forwardmost switch control arm 23, at which time contacts 29a and 2912 are both closed. When the toggle switch is adjusted for a spotting operation (i.e. when movable contact 556 engages upper contact 557), the tape is not applied to the sheet until the switch actuating arm 59 reaches the margin of one of the slots of the timing disk 57.

De-energization of the escapement solenoid 113 by the passage of the trailing edge of the sheet beyond switch control arm 29 during a stripping operation or by the riding of the switch actuating arm onto the body of the timing disk during a spotting operation terminates a tape applying operation by unlocking the drive shaft 25 to enable it to complete its second half revolution of movement. This raises the tape applying heads 16 and lowers the tape severing means 18.

The conductor 566 also extends to the normally-closed contacts 475' controlled by the limit roller 473 of the timing disk wheel assembly. The contacts 475 are connected in series with the spotting solenoid 430 which is connected by a conductor 567 to the power line conductor 551. It is thus apparent that, during a spotting operation, the spotting solenoid 430 is energized so as to urge the switch control spring member 59 against the timing disk, and to drive the timing disk wheel assembly from its reference position. If the timing disk wheel assembly is rotated almost a full revolution by a sheet of greater length than the machine is designed to operate with, the stop block 463 engages the roller 473 to open the contacts 475, de-energizing momentarily the spotting solenoid 430 to de-couple the timing disk wheel assembly from the drive gear 419 in the manner previously described, where the restoring spring 411 reverses the rotation of the wheel assembly until the stop block leaves the roller 473. The spotting solenoid 430 thus alternates between an energized and a tie-energized condition as the contacts 475' alternately open and close until the trail ing edge of the paper passes by the switch control arm 29. Of course, during a stripping operation, the spotting solenoid 430 is de-energized (and the spot controlling contacts 471 remain open).

A spotting operation indicating lamp 576 is mounted on the control panel 12 (FIG. 2A) and is connected into the circuit of FIG. 15 so as to be energized when a spotting operation is called for. Similarly, a stripping operation indicating lamp 572 is mounted on the control panel 12 and connected into the circuit of FIG. 15 so as to be energized when a stripping operation is called for. It is preferred to use low voltage A.C. lamps for the spotting and stripping operation indicating lamps 570 and 572. To this end, a transformer 573 is provided having a primary winding 573a having its bottom end connected by a conductor 575 to the common power conductor 551 and an upper end connected by a conductor 577 and a jumper 579 to both the upper and lower contacts 581 and 583 of switch 270. The switch 27c has a movable contact 586 connected to the power conductor 550. The movable contact 586 in its upper and lower positions makes contact with upper and lower contacts 581 and 583 to connect power to the primary winding 573a and in its intermediate position is unconnected with any part of the circuit. A pair of motors 582-582 of blower units to be described are connected between the juncture of jumper 579 and conductor 577 and the upper terminal of a fuse 584 connected to the power conductor 551. The fuse 584 along with fuse 564 are removably mounted on the top of the control panel 12 (FIG. 2A). The aforementioned electric motor 62 which drives the various mechanical parts of the machine described is connected in parallel with the blower motors 582-582.

The transformer 573 has a secondary winding 57312 whose bottom end is connected by a common conductor 582 to the bottom terminals of the stripping and spotting operation indicating lamps 572 and 570. The upper end of the secondary winding 573b is connected by a conductor 586 to the movable contact 588 of switch 27b. Movable contact 588 has an upper position where it is in engagement with a contact 590, an intermediate position where it is disconnected from the circuit and a lower position where it makes engagement with a contact 592 connected by conductor 594 to the upper terminal of the stripping operation indicating lamp 572. The contact 590 is connected by a conductor 596 to the upper terminal of the spotting operation indicating lamp 570. In both the spotting and stripping operations, the main drive motor 62 and the blower motor 582 are energized.

The conductor 577 extends to the normally-opened contacts 129 which, it will be remembered, open when the roller (see FIG. 14) rides in the depressions 84a or 84]) of the cam wheel 84 and is closed during the time interval when the common drive shaft 25 is being driven between the limits of its half revolution positions. The contacts are connected in series with the clutch solenoid 24 in turn connected to the upper end of the fuse 564. The clutch solenoid 94 is thus energized only during the movement of the common drive shaft 25 between its half revolution positions and is de-energized at other times when a relatively substantial coupling force is not required. In this way, the friction disk 82 is free normally to turn with respect to the cam wheel 82 when the latter is locked against rotation, to avoid wearing out the friction clutch parts, and yet is able to start rotation of the cam wheel to initiate energization of the clutch solenoid.

The circuit diagram of FIG. 15 includes a pair of electrical pulse counters 600 and 602 which may be any one of a number of well-known types operating to count the number of sheets passing through the machine. The counter 602 is a non-resettable counter which advances the count accummulated therein by one each time the counter is successfully energized and then de-energized. One of the terminals of the counter is connected by a conductor 604 to the side of the series connected contacts 2% and 2% remote from the power conductor 550 and the other terminal thereof is connected by a. conductor 575 to the power conductor 551. The counter 602 will thus receive a pulse as the contacts 29a and 2% are successively closed 21 and re-opened by the passage of the leading and trailing edges of a sheet of material.

The pulse counter 609 is similar to counter 692 except that it is a resettable counter which indicates to the operator the number of sheets passed through the machine on a given job. The counter 66% is mounted on the control panel 12 (FIG. 2A) and has a housing 693 with a visible display window 600a and a manual reset knob 667 so that the counter can be manually reset to zero. A counter disable switch 669 operated by a toggle switch 611 on the control panel 12 is connected between one terminal of the counter 666 (FIG. 15) and the conductor 604 leading to the contacts 29a and 29b. The other terminal of the counter 60!) is connected by the conductor 575 to the power conductor 551. When the switch 609 is closed, it is apparent that the resettable counter 69% will give the count for the number of sheets of material which have passed through the machine since the counter was last manually reset.

Refer now more particularly to FIGS. 1, 2 and 7. As previously indicated the taped sheets of material are delivered to a collecting bin 9 at the outlet end of the feed table 4. The collecting bin 9 is pivotally secured by brackets 612-612 to the frame of the machine. The brackets are hinged at 614-614 to respective mounting arms 616-616 secured at the opposite sides of the machine frame. The collecting bin 9 includes a bottom wall 619 (FIG. 7) made of pegboard or the like having closelyspaced perforations 621. The pegboard may be secured to a baseboard 623 from the side margins of which upwardly extend a pair of side walls 624-624. The collecting bin 9 is supportable in at least three alternate positions shown in FIG. 2 by means of a pair of support bars 628-628 respectively pivotally secured at the upper end to support blocks 630-630 secured to the baseboard 623 of the collecting bin. The bottom end portion of each of the support bars is provided with a slot 631 spaced a short distance from the end of the bar and a notch 633 at the very end thereof. Slots 631 and notch 633 provide respective shoulders which are engageable against a cross-bar 635 extending between a pair of legs ?.a2a at the front of the frame structure 2 to support the collecting bin at an intermediate angle of inclination shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2 or a steep angle of inclination shown in solid lines in that figure. By pivoting the support bars 623-628 into an almost vertical position where they rest on the floor, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 2, a very slight angle of inclination of the collecting bin is obtained. The smaller angles of inclination are used for relatively thin sheet material where sharper angles would cause the sheets to bow or fold under their own weight.

Shoulder-forming clips 638 having mounting pins ass therein for insetrion in any of the pegboard perforations 6211 are provided to form stop walls which abut the ends of the sheets of material falling into the collecting bin 9 to form a neat stack of sheets.

The upper end of the bin 9 is obviously open, as illustrated most clearly in FIG. 7, to catch the sheets of material falling ofi the end of a sheet-directing plate 643 hinged at 644 to the front end of the feed table 4. Adjustable elevation rods 645-645 are supported from the aforesaid mounting arms 616-616 to adjust the angle of inclination of the plate 643 in accordance with the angle of inclination of the collecting bin 9.

Due to friction between the sheets of material, the sheets entering the collecting bin may not slide completely down over the subjacent sheet. To prevent this situation, two or more blower units 650 are mounted upon a vertical support wall 651 mounted beneath the feed table 4. The blower units each include the aforesaid blower motor 582 driving fan blades (not shown) and an open end flexible discharge tube 653 through which air under pressure is forced by the fan blades. The open end of the flexible tube 653 is positioned above the bottom of the bin and provides a layer of moving air fed beneath the sheets of material dropping into the bin. This prevents any appreciable area of contact between the dropping sheet and the one below in the bin until the former sheet engages the shoulder-forming clips 638. The flexibility of the tubes enables them to be moved laterally to accommodate them to sheets of varying width and vertically to adjust the inclination of the blower tubes to the varying inclinations of the collecting bin 9.

It is thus apparent that the present invention has pro vided an exceedingly flexible and reliable tape applying machine capable of providing a variety of diiferent patterns and spacial arrangements of the tape on sheets of various widths, lengths and thicknesses in a single pass of the sheets through the machine. Moreover, the machine is capable of operating at exceptional high speeds with even very thin sheet materials.

It should be understood that numerous modifications may be made in the preferred form of the invention described above without deviating from the broader aspects of the invention.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In an adhesive tape applying machine having a feed table for receiving sheets of material upon which said adhesive tape is to be applied and sheet feeding means for feeding said sheets upon said table, the improvement comprising: a plurality of tape applying units overlying said feed table and spaced transversely to the path of movement of said sheets thereupon, a pivot support for a roll of adhesive tape adjacent to each of said tape applying units, each of said tape applying units including a tape applying head through which passes the unwound end portion of a roll of the adhesive tape supported upon the associated pivot support, said tape applying head being mounted for movement between a raised position and a lowered position where the tape passing therethrough is applied to the top of a sheet passing over said feed table, and tape severing means mounted for movement between an inoperative position and a tape severing position where the tape is severed at a point below said tape applying head, a single mechanical operating means for operating said tape applying heads and tape severing means of all of said tape applying units between said various positions, said operating means including a common drive shaft means responsive to a first range of positions of said shaft which occupy part of a revolution for moving said tape applying heads from said raised to said lowered position and said tape severing means from said tape severing to said inoperative position, and means responsive to a second range of positions occupying at least part of the rest of said revolution for moving said tape applying heads from said lowered to said raised position and said tape severing means from said inoperative to said tape severing position, tape feed control means, and means responsive to said tape feed control means for driving said drive shaft.

2. In an adhesive tape applying machine having a feed table for receiving sheets of material of varying width upon which said adhesive tape is to be applied and sheet feeding means for feeding said sheets lengthwise upon said feed table in a given direction, the improvement comprising: a plurality of separately transversely movable and transversely spaced tape applying units overlying said feed table, a pivot support for a roll of tape adjacent to and carried by each of said tape applying units, each of said tape applying units including a tape applying head through which passes the unwound end portion of a roll of adhesive tape supported upon the associated pivot support, said tape applying head being mounted for movement between a raised position and a lowered position where the tape passing therethrough is applied to the top of a sheet passing over said feed table, and operating means for operating said tape applying head between said positions, tape feed control means, and means responsive to said tape feed control means for 

8. IN AN ADHESIVE TAPE APPLYING MACHINE HAVING SHEET FEEDING MEANS FOR FEEDING SHEETS OF MATERIAL TO WHICH THE TAPE IS TO BE APPLIED THROUGH THE MACHINE, AND TAPE APPLYING MEANS FOR APPLYING ADHESIVE TAPE TO A PORTION OF THE SHEET OF MATERIAL PASSING THROUGH THE MACHINE, THE IMPROVEMENT IN CONTROL MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID TAPE APPLYING MEANS, SAID CONTROL MEANS COMPRISING; TAPE SPOTTING CONTROL MEANS FOR OPERATING SAID TAPE APPLYING MEANS, SAID TAPE SPOTTING CONTROL MEANS INCLUDING A MOVABLY MOUNTED TIMING MEANS HAVING A NUMBER OF TIMING POINTS, ACTUATING MEANS ADJACENT TO SAID TIMING MEANS AND RESPONSIVE TO THE PASSAGE OF SAID TIMING POINTS THEREBY BY OPERATING SAID TAPE APPLYING MEANS TO APPLY SPOTS OF TAPE TO A SHEET, SHEET RESPONSIVE MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PASSAGE THEREBY OF THE LEADING AND TRAILING EDGES OF THE SHEET PASSING THROUGH SAID MACHINE, AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO PASSAGE OF THE LEADING EDGE OF A SHEET PAST SAID SHEET RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR INITIATING MOVEMENT OF SAID MOVABLE TIMING MEANS AND, MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PASSAGE OF THE TRAILING EDGE OF THE SHEET PAST SAID SHEET RESPONSIVE MEANS FOR STOPPING THE MOVEMENT OF SAID TIMING MEANS. 